Suspension for vehicles



ug- 20, 1935. G. M. BARNES 2,011,565

SUSPENSION FOR VEHICLES Filed Feb. 28, 1934 Inventur Eladecm M EarT-LEE @MM/72M Attorney Patented Aug'. 20, 1935 UNITED srATEs PATENT oFFicE 2,011,565 SUSPENSION FOR VEHICLES Gladeon M. Barnes, United States Army, Hastings, Mich.

Application February 28,

4 Claims.

1934, Serial No. '113,357

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 O.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for 'governmental purposes, without the payment to.

. hasl been customary to place each of the wheels 50i/vided adjacent one on one end of a lever which is fulcrumed on the body of the vehicle and acts against a resilient suspension mechanism. In traveling on good roads the track is removed and thelintermediate levers are rotated so that their wheels are clear of the road.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a. wheel mounting of the foregoing type in which 'the tension of a suspension spring may be varied and in which the spring may be inoperated when relatively movable elements of the mechanism are immovably associated for directly moving the lever.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the inven- Ytion.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a viewvin side elevation with parts broken away of a vehicle equipped with the improved suspension units.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a cylinder and piston suspension unit.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a modification showing the cylinder and piston in a vertical position.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, there is shown a vehicle including a body 5 having on each side an inner hull 6 and an outer hull 1 spaced therefrom. A series of levers having a long arm 8 disposed between the/hulls are similar in construction and/(mounting andf will be but briey described-as they form the subject of a separate/application. The arm 8 is conveniently formed of welded plates and is proof its ends with a pair of hollow trunnons 9--9 tting in bearing sleeves Ill- IIJ in the hulls. A shaft Il carried by the body extends through the hollow trunnions and forms an additional support therefor.

A spindle I2 in the free end of the arm carries track I4 are preferably employed.

a wheel I3 which is adapted to run on the ground or on a self-laying track generally indicated at I4. l Each lever includes a short upstanding arm I5 which is associated with a suspension unit disposed between the hulls 6 and 1. The suspension unit comprises a cylinder I6 a piston rod I1 passing through one end I8 of the cylinder, a piston head I9 and a helical spring 2D confined between the head I9 and end I8. The other end ISa of the cylinder is pivotally connected to the 10 arm I5 by a pin 2|.

The outer threaded portion 22 of the piston rod passes through an aperture in a block 23 which is formed with trunnions 24-24 mounted in bearing sleeves 25 21. The block 23 includes a casing 28 adapted to house a nut 29 on the threaded portion of the piston rod. The nut is integral with a worm wheel 30 which meshes with a shaft 32 journaled in the casing 28. The outer end 33 of the shaft is adapted to receive a detachable actuating tool 34 which is applied through an aperture 35 in the outer hull 1.

The casing 28 operates with one end of the block 23 to confine the nut. A key 31 carried by the block 23 enters a key-way 38 in the portion 22 of the piston rod. A cap 39 secured by apin 40 on the outer end of and 26 respectively secured to 15 the inner hull 6 and outer hull 1 as by the bolts carries a bearing 36 which co- 25 the piston rod is engageable with the bearing 36 30 the nut 29, the piston rod 35 piston and cylinder now form a rigid unit which 40 is connected to the lever 8-I5 and upon further rotation of the nut 29 vthey are axially moved, thereby rocking the lever about its fulcrum and raising the wheel I3 off of the ground as shown in the intermediate groups in Fig.- l. In traveling on good roads it may be desired to employ only the end wheels I3. In traveling on rough roads or cross-country vall of the wheels and the The arrangement also permits any wheel to be raised for the purpose 0f changing tires.

Upon rotating the nut 29 to withdraw the piston rod from the cylinder the spring 20 is brought vinto operation to resiliently support the body of The spring tension can i the vehicle on the lever.

be varied at will and the body of the vehicle can be raised or lowered as desired.

The threads on the nut 29 and the piston on the portion 22 of the rod and theteeth on the worm 3| and worm wheel 30 are self locking so that 'the piston rod is locked in position of adjustment.y

In themodication shown in Fig. 4 the cylindex- 42 and piston rod 43 are in'a vertical position and the cylinder is connected to a lever 4 4 between its fulcrum v45 and wheel 46. The resilient supporting element may consist of air or, and, oil under pressure or-it may also include a spring as shown in Patent No. 1,824,086 of September 22, 1931.v

I claim:

1. In a vehicle, a body, a lever fulcrumed on the body, a Wheel on one end of the lever, acylinder pivotally attached to. the Aother end of the lever, a piston rod passing through an end of the cylinder and having an outer threaded portion, a piston head Withinthe cylinder, a spring confined between the piston head and an end of the cylinder, a block trunnioned in the body and having an aperture through which the threaded portion of the piston is passed, a key carried by the block and holding the piston rod against `rotation, a casing on the block, a nut threaded on the piston rod an'd housed in the casing, a Worin wheel on said nut,.and a worm meshing with the worm Wheel.

2. In a vehicle, a body, a lever fulcrumed on the outer threaded portion,

trunnioned in thel body body, a; wheel on one end of the lever, a cylinder pivotally attached to the other end of the lever, a piston working in the cylinder and having an a yielding supporting element between the cylinder and piston, a block and slidably mounting the threaded portion of thepiston, means for holding the piston against rotation, a casing on the block, a nut threaded on the piston and housed in the casing, a worm wheel on said nut and a. worm meshing with the worm wheel.

A 3. In a` vehicle,`a body, a lever fulcrumed on the bod'y, a wheel on one end of the lever, a cylinder pivotally attached tothe other end of the lever, a piston working in the cylinder and having an outer threaded portion, a yielding supporting element between the cylinder andv piston, a block trunnioned in the body and slidably I mounting the threaded portion of the piston, means for holding the piston against rotation, a nut threaded on the piston, a r orm wheel on said nut and a worm meshing with the worm wheel.

l4. In a vehicle, a body, a lever fulcrumed on the body, a wheel on the lever, a cylinder pivotally attached to the other end of the lever, a pistonv working in the cylinder and having an outer threaded portion, a yielding supporting element between the cylinder and piston, means for pivotally mounting the piston on the body, and means for axially displacing the pistoninto direct contact with the cylinder whereby to rotate the lever.

GLADEON M. BARNES. 

